Accomplished Talent Harry Hannam Joins GulfSport Racing for 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup

Dubai, UAE – GulfSport Racing is excited to announce that promising British driver Harry Hannam will join the team for the upcoming 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup, marking an exciting next step in his motorsport career.

Hannam’s racing journey began at an early age in the UAE, cutting his teeth in the local karting scene where he honed his racecraft on his way to collecting 4 national karting Championships and successful appearances in multiple karting world finals.

In 2024, Hannam made the step up to cars by dominating the 2024/25 Renault Clio Cup Middle East. At the end of that season, he made a wild card entry into the Gulf Radical Cup SuperPrix, where he delivered an impressive debut performance. Despite facing a grid packed with experienced drivers, Hannam showcased both pace and maturity, gaining the attention of Gulf Radical Cup teams and drivers alike.

Now, the 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup presents Hannam with the opportunity to take his career to the next level. Racing in a GulfSport Racing prepared Radical SR3 XXR, he will compete on two of the regions top tracks, Yas Marina Circuit and Dubai Autodrome. With vital support from H&R (by MSW - Exclusive regional distributor) and GulfSport Racing, Hannam is going for the top spot this season. 

“I’ve been passionate about motorsport from the very beginning,” Hannam commented. “Karting gave me the skills and mindset to compete, and last season’s SuperPrix was a great taste of driving the Radical SR3. It’s for sure the right step in my campaign to compete at the highest level of GT and Sportscar racing. Joining GulfSport Racing for a full Gulf Radical Cup is a great opportunity. I’m ready to learn, progress, and push for a top spot this season.” 

GulfSport Racing is equally excited about welcoming Hannam. “Harry has shown great commitment and potential in his racing so far,” said a GulfSport Racing’s Martin Hope. “We’re looking forward to supporting his development and helping him achieve strong results in what will be a very competitive season.”

Hannam will be in his SR3 XXR next week at the first Pre Season test on Yas Marina Circuit.

The Gulf Radical Cup is one of the region’s leading one-make championships, attracting a mix of drivers from the UAE and further afield. The 2025/26 season begins this October and promises another year of close and competitive racing.

2025/26 Season - Just Around the Corner!

Just over six weeks away and the 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup will kick off in style at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Following one of the most successful years to date, this coming season looks to be equally as competitive and enjoyable for teams and drivers from the UAE and further afield.

GRC regulars Amir Feyzulin and Johnny Khazzoum will line up on the grid in their SR3 XXR machines, alongside them will be Alex Chachava and Alex Novichkov, who both made their debut in the GRC last season. Novichkov impressively took the National Class title last season, and is expected to build on that and run up the front this season.

UK racer Andy Lowe will also make his return, and after impressive running in the UK and US series this season is expected to be on pace. Peri Daremas also found great pace at the end of last season, so is expected to get back on the podium. Jahid Karim has also upgraded to an XXR and looking to work his way up the field, hoping to take a podium in the National Class!

There will also be some new faces on the grid, aviation entrepreneur Aleksandr Celiadin will make his racing debut in his new SR3 XXR at the first round.

Experienced Radical racer Chris Preen will also be there for Round 1, after his success last season, picking up a win at the Round 4 Enduro also at YAS.

We will also see several new domestic and international entries throughout the season, bringing an extra edge to the already competitive field. With a mix of experienced campaigners and ambitious newcomers, the 2025/26 Gulf Radical Cup promises close racing, dramatic battles, and plenty of action under the lights at Yas Marina Circuit and Dubai Autodrome.

The calendar will once again feature iconic UAE venues, including Yas Marina and Dubai Autodrome, providing drivers with the perfect stage to showcase the performance of the Radical SR3 XXR. Endurance formats and sprint races will ensure both strategy and outright pace are rewarded.

With the Radical community in the region continuing to grow, the Gulf Radical Cup remains the premier platform for aspiring and established racers alike.

The season officially kicks off on 1st November at Yas Marina Circuit. Spectators are welcome, and live updates will be shared across the Gulf Radical Cup’s digital channels.

Round 1 Date Change

GulfSport Racing LLC, the promoter of the Gulf Radical Cup, has been able to negotiate a new start date for the 2025/26 season. Round 1 will now take place a week earlier, still at Yas Marina Circuit, but now on the 1st and 2nd of November.

This is a positive move, allowing the original clash with the Radical World Finals in VIR (USA) to now be avoided.

Considering this date change, and given tomorrow was the last day of the early entry offer, this has now been extended to the 15th of August.

2025/26 Online Entries Now Open

The Gulf Radical Cup is excited to announce that entries are officially open for the highly anticipated 2025/26 season. Building on a record-breaking year of Radical racing across the Gulf region, the new season promises even more action, grid growth, and opportunities for both experienced competitors and newcomers to the GRC family.

Building on the success of the 2024/25 season, which attracted a record number of entries and showcased some of the most competitive Radical racing globally, the Gulf Radical Cup continues to be the premier destination for drivers seeking high-performance, cost-effective motorsport in the Middle East.

Prospective competitors are encouraged to secure their places early, as grid slots are limited and demand is expected to be strong once again. The online registration form is now live and can be accessed here:

“We’re excited to open entries for what promises to be another fantastic season,” said Fred Jacobs - Series Coordinator. “The calendar provides an outstanding mix of circuit layouts and dates, and we look forward to welcoming both returning drivers and new faces to the paddock.”

For any enquiries regarding entries, technical regulations, or event logistics, please contact: grc@gulf-sport.com

Or, click below to see Racer/Team Info Page:

2025/26 Race Dates Announced

Radical race cars first took to the track on the 11th of December 2005, and twenty years later the owners of the Gulf Radical Cup, GulfSport Racing LLC, prepare for another season of racing in the UAE.

Despite all the noise and glamour of various local and international series coming and going over the years, the Gulf Radical Cup has ‘blazed a trail’ right up the middle and been the only series to run every one of these 20 years since 2005!

Martin Hope (GulfSport Racing) not leading the field, back on 2005 at the A1 GP!

This season sees some exciting additions to the race schedule, with Round 3 being the ‘SuperPrix’ format. This endurance race format was trialled following the last round of last season; it was greatly received and now has been placed as a championship round.

20 Years after that first race, the ‘GRC’ pack roar in to T1 at the Dubai Autodrome 2025

The race format for the 2025/26 season will otherwise be the same. But now running 19 races over seven events, the other six rounds format is 2 x 25-minute Sprint Races on the Saturday and a 1 x 45-minute Enduro on the Sunday.

Drivers have the option to share the series (and cost) with a second driver by entering as a ‘Team’, changing drivers at the mandatory pit stop in Mini Enduro, and doing a Sprint Race each. With a slight change to the regulations this year, it allows two drivers to enter, but if only one of the pairing can make a race weekend, the points gained that weekend go towards the Team entry, allowing for maximum flexibility.

This season, there will be two pre-season tests in October, one at Yas Marina Circuit and at the Dubai Autodrome, with Round 1 kicking off at the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit on the 8th of November.

Online entries will open on the 1st of July.

For more information relating to the upcoming season or for support with car import and support/storage etc., get in touch on grc@gulf-sport.com

SuperPrix - Race Report

The 2025 Super Prix, organised by GulfSport Racing (Radical UAE), took place last weekend (19th April 2025) on the 4.29 km International Circuit at the Dubai Autodrome.

This inaugural running of the format took the shape of a 2-lap Super Pole qualifying session to determine the grid for an 85-minute endurance race for drivers and teams running the Radical SR3.

It was a day of blue skies and bright sunshine, but all eyes were on the highly anticipated clash between current and former Gulf Radical Cup Champions, Alim Geshev and Alex Bukhantsov. The event also attracted several new faces, as well as experienced and talented competitors, including regulars Alex Novichkov sharing with Marcel Kiefer, Jimmy Chou, Harry Hannam, Kenny Murray sharing with Jon Simmonds, and Sean Simpson sharing with Marcel Kopp.

Super Pole allows drivers just an out lap, two flying laps, and one in lap—so focus and precision are critical, especially as lap times are disallowed if track limits are exceeded.

The session kicked off with the #88 Dream Racing SR3 XXR driven by Sean Simpson, but unfortunately a technical issue brought them to a premature halt. Jon Simmonds went next and set a best lap time of 1:44.667 in his XXR. He was followed by National Champion Alex Novichkov, who, after losing his first flying lap for track limits, set a strong time of 1:41.051. Next up was Harry Hannam in an SR3 XX, whose best lap was 1:41.922. Hannam was followed by Jimmy Chou, who clocked a 1:42.103.

This left the intriguing battle between two of the world’s fastest Radical racers: Alim Geshev and Alex Bukhantsov. Geshev went first and set his best time on his second flying lap—a 1:40.704. Bukhantsov set off exactly 90 seconds later and was quickly up to speed. His first flying lap (1:41.800) was deleted for track limits, and his second lap was a 1:41.171—just 0.467 seconds slower than Geshev.

The Super Prix began with a lightning-fast start from Bukhantsov, fresh from competing in the 2025 Ultimate Cup and Asia Le Mans Series. He took the lead into Turn 1 from his P3 grid slot, followed closely by front-row starters Geshev and Novichkov. Taiwanese teenager Jimmy Chou, who was handed a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits while following Novichkov, was closely pursued by Kopp, Hannam, and Simmonds who also received a 5-second penalty. As the tyres warmed up, lap times started to fall, and it was 2023/24 Champion Bukhantsov who began to build a gap, pulling nearly 4 seconds clear of Geshev as they reached the one-hour-to-go mark.

As the race progressed, it became apparent that although Geshev remained in P2, he was able to match Bukhantsov’s lap times and even set the fastest lap on Lap 4.

When the pit lane opened after 35 minutes for the mandatory 4-minute pit stop (allowing for driver changes and refuelling), Novichkov was first in to hand over to Marcel Kiefer, followed by Hannam and Kopp, who handed over to Simpson. Bukhantsov then pitted, leaving Geshev in the lead, and was followed in by Chou and Simmonds.

Geshev pitted on Lap 29, hoping his clear laps before the stop would give him the lead once his 4-minute stop was complete. However, it wasn’t to be—Geshev’s stop was 18 seconds longer than Bukhantsov’s perfectly timed 4-minute stop. As the second half of the race began, Geshev was now 19 seconds behind, followed by Jimmy Chou, Hannam, Keifer, Sompson, and Murray. Geshev was lapping faster than Bukhantsov, and with 25 minutes to go, the chase was on.

By the 16-minute mark, Geshev had closed the gap to 16 seconds, gaining at more than 1 second per lap. With 10 minutes remaining, the gap was down to 11 seconds, and it became a nail-biting chase as Geshev could now see Bukhantsov ahead.

Jimmy Chou held a comfortable P3 position, ahead of Harry Hannam, Marcel Kiefer, Simpson, and Murray.

Bukhantsov delivered a flawless race and crossed the finish line just 6.329 seconds ahead of Geshev after flat-out racing over 206 km. Jimmy Chou shared the podium in P3 for the Solo Class drivers.

Taking the top step of the AM/AM class were Novichkov and Kiefer.

Round 7 Final - Race Report

GulfSport Racing (Radical UAE) celebrated the 20th season of the one-make Gulf Radical Cup in style with an Awards Night at the Dubai Autodrome Apex Garden. The evening also included awards presented to drivers in the GulfSport-promoted and managed Gulf ProCar Series.

With the customary double points on offer at the last round, this was an important event for those drivers wanting to make their mark in this prestigious Radical championship. Over the course of a 7-round, 21-race season, which ran at the Yas Marina Circuit and the Dubai Autodrome, 39 drivers from around the world participated, supported by a host of professional teams and driver coaches. But it was the recently crowned 2024 Radical Platinum Class World Champion, Alim Geshev, who claimed the 2025 Gulf Radical Cup Champion title after a stellar season in the TTR-run SR3XXR.

Going into the weekend, the battle between Geshev (TTR) and Usmaan Mughal (Relentless/GulfSport Racing) for the championship was highlighted, as during the official test, they were separated by only six hundredths of a second.

Come the Sprint Race qualifying session, with 14 drivers on the circuit, Mughal was able to gain pole by just four-tenths from Geshev, with Marcel Kieffer just three and a half-tenths behind Geshev. This gave Mughal pole position for both Sprint Races. In Sprint Race 1, Mughal made a great start and led from the front. Using his pace seen in qualifying, he was able to keep a gap to Geshev, with Kieffer in an impressive 3rd during his GRC debut.

In Sprint Race 2, Mughal got away again to take the lead and pulled an early gap. Playing with strategy on tires, Mughal pulled away with a blistering pace on newer rubber than his competitors. This left Geshev with Novichkov chasing hard, allowing Mughal to pull further ahead and then control his pace.

But midway through the race, disaster struck for Geshev. With a sudden loss of pressure on his front-right tire, he locked up in a huge cloud of tire smoke into the club link and was out of the race—his first DNF of the season, and it could not have come at a worse time. This left Novichkov and Feyzulin to battle it out for second and third. The pair was closing the gap to Mughal, but he was just running down the clock to claim a second victory of the day. Making progress in Sprint Race 2 was Gulhuseyn Abdullayev from Azerbaijan, running the Bakcell SR3 XXR with GulfSport Racing. He picked up pace in that race, posting the fastest lap time, only second to race winner Mughal.

With the DNF of Geshev and two wins for Mughal, it meant the GRC crown remained unclaimed until the Enduro race played out the following day.

The Sunday morning qualifying session saw Geshev gain pole by five-tenths from Mughal, with TTR-run drivers Novichkov and Kieffer on the second row, ahead of a French third row featuring Hugo Lacasse (GulfSport Racing) and Julien Monie (RAW).

The 45-minute endurance race was, as expected, a close-run thing between Geshev and Mughal, who had a DNF in the previous Enduro race, meaning he would not carry any success penalties. There was plenty of action, with a safety car early in the race. But as the cars were released back to racing, Geshev had a 6-second lead as Mughal pitted, knowing that Geshev would have to serve an additional 15 seconds stationary in the pits as a result of his 2nd place in the last race. When Geshev left the pits, Mughal was in sight, and he set about catching him. But it was not to be, and after 27 laps, Mughal won by just half a second, with Novichkov joining them on the podium.

Geshev was awarded his Championship Title Trophy with 307 points, Mughal was Vice Champion with 275, and Ian Aguilera came third with 253.

The next event is the 2025 Gulf Radical Cup Superprix, an 85-minute endurance race, which will take place on April 18-19.

Reflecting on the season Geshev added:

“Becoming the Gulf Radical Cup Champion feels unreal. This wasn’t just a race season - it was a battle of grit, passion, and precision. The 2024/2025 grid was packed with world-class talent, pushing me to my absolute limit at every turn. That’s what made this championship so special. I’m deeply grateful to GulfSport Racing for creating this incredible platform, to my team TTR for standing by me, to my coach James Winslow, my race engineer George, and my rockstar mechanics. And above all - to my family. Their unwavering support made this dream possible. We didn’t just win - we conquered. “If in doubt - flat out”.”

Round 6 - Race Report

Racing during Ramadan meant that the main sessions took place in the evening, after the fasting period had ended.

Usmaan Mughal was in great form, securing a double pole for both Sprint Race 1 and 2, as the only driver to dip into the 1:39s. However, as Race 1 got underway, Mughal misjudged the start, pulling away before the red lights went out. Alex Bukhantsov (making a rare appearance this year), who was alongside in P2, watched as Mughal jumped the start. This allowed Mughal to take the lead, but not for long.

In a bizarre turn of events, the circuit timing feed displayed “Safety Car,” causing confusion. Some teams with pit-to-car radios informed their drivers, including Mughal, who started to back off. Realising it was a false alarm, he tried to recover but had already allowed some of his competitors to pass.

As the race settled into a rhythm, Geshev took control at the front, maintaining a consistent pace. Sebastian Murray (currently racing in Indy NXT for 2025) was close behind in second, with Ian Aguilera in third. This remained the order as they crossed the finish line, but celebrations were cut short when a 10-second penalty was handed to Murray for exceeding track limits after receiving a warning during the race. This dropped him to fourth, promoting Bukhantsov to third and onto the podium. Mughal also received a penalty for his jump start, pushing him further down the order.

A few hours later, Sprint Race 2 got underway, with Mughal once again on pole and Murray alongside. However, there was confusion at the start as Murray found himself ahead before the lights went out. Realising his mistake, he dropped back, causing the left side of the grid to back up. On Lap 2, the safety car was deployed after Amir Feyzulin was stranded at Turn 15. After a few laps under caution, racing resumed with Aguilera in the lead, closely followed by Murray and Geshev.

A few laps later, Daremas pulled off at Turn 1 with a gearbox issue. Stuck in a dangerous spot, this triggered another safety car. With only a few laps remaining, the race finished under caution.

As the day drew to a close, the Enduro race began. Chaos erupted right after Turn 1, where a chain reaction of contact took out three cars, bringing out the red flag. After a delay, the race was restarted with a full grid reset. As the cars pulled away, it became clear that Mughal had engine issues, forcing him to retire at the end of the lap—capping off a tough weekend for him.

A few laps later, the red flag was waved again after Novichkov ran wide out of Turn 14, spinning across the track and hitting the wall hard. With the cars lined up for the third restart, Murray took the lead, with Bukhantsov and Geshev chasing hard. However, since this was a night race, it was mandatory to have the front LED running lights on. After the pit stop, Bukhantsov's lights were off, resulting in a technical black flag. This promoted Khazzoum to the third step of the podium.

It was a gruelling race for all, but now there is a four-week break before the final round of the championship. Geshev has taken the lead in the points standings, but with double points on offer in the last round, everything is still up for grabs.

Round 5 - Race Report

Gulf Radical Cup Round 5 - Yas Marina Circuit

Every round of the Gulf Radical Cup has taken place on different circuit layouts, and this time, it was the 3km North Circuit at Yas Marina, which brings the drivers back to the start/finish straight immediately after Turns 6 & 7 at the end of the long back straight. The two Japanese ‘Seven X Seven’ drivers were absent, as was current GRC Champion Alex Bukhantsov, but the series was joined by 23-year-old ‘Historics’ racer Harry Barton, enjoying his first experience in a Radical SR3 XXR.

As always, the drivers had plenty of seat time, with a three-hour practice session preceding the official 30-minute test and Saturday morning's Sprint Race qualification. The championship contenders' top 10 lap times were very close, setting the grid for the first race as follows:

Sprint Race 1 Qualifying Top Ten:

P1 - Usmaan Mughal (GulfSport Racing) - 1:03.604
P2 - Ian Aguilera (RAW Motorsport) - 1:03.949
P3 - Alim Geshev (TT Racing) - 1:04.103
P4 - Andy Lowe (DW Racing) - 1:04.651
P5 - Peri Daremas (GulfSport Racing) - 1:04.692
P6 - Amir Feyzulin (TT Racing) - 1:04.981
P7 - Alex Novichkov (TT Racing) - 1:04.982
P8 - Julien Monie (RAW Motorsports) - 1:04.984
P9 - Ibby Hadid (Almeida Motorsports) - 1:05.155
P10 - Alex Chachava (Dream Racing) - 1:05.349

Sprint Race 1

The first Sprint Race began with Geshev making a great start, jumping into the lead from the second row. However, Aguilera soon moved to the front ahead of Geshev and Mughal, who were being closely tracked by Andy Lowe. Monie made impressive progress, climbing from P8 to P5.

The safety car was deployed after an incident involving Khazzoum, who retired following a clash with Daremas, while Feyzulin came together with Hadeed. After the restart, Mughal managed to take P2 from Geshev and went on to set the fastest lap of the race, but the victory went to Aguilera, followed by Mughal in second and Geshev in third.

Sprint Race 2

The grid for the second Sprint Race saw Mughal on pole again, alongside young Mexican driver Aguilera, with Geshev and Daremas on the second row, followed by Lowe and Feyzulin in P5 and P6.

At the start, the order remained unchanged, with Mughal gradually building a two-second lead until Daremas and Feyzulin made contact, causing both to retire. This allowed Novichkov and Khazzoum to move up to P5 and P6, followed closely by Karim and Monie.

Parish then had an unfortunate incident with Daremas, bringing out the Safety Car. With just three minutes remaining, the race ended under caution, securing victory and the fastest lap for Mughal, with Aguilera and Geshev completing the podium.

Enduro Race Qualifying

The short qualifying session for the main Enduro race took place on Sunday morning. Once again, Mughal secured pole position with a lap time of 1:04.398, just 0.251 seconds ahead of Geshev and 0.305 seconds ahead of Aguilera. Lowe put in a strong performance to take P4, with Novichkov and Lowe locking out Row 3.

Enduro Race

Pit stop success penalties from the previous event had little effect, as both Chris Preen and Fujinami, who had taken P1 and P2 last time, were absent. However, Aguilera, who had finished P3 in the previous round, had an extra 10 seconds added to his mandatory pit stop.

The Enduro race got underway with a poor start from pole-sitter Mughal. Geshev seized the opportunity to take the lead, while Daremas made a strong start, moving up to P2 from the second row, with Aguilera right behind in third.

After a few laps, Aguilera moved into third and began chasing the leaders. Shortly after, the safety car was deployed following an incident involving Julien Monie. As the safety car circulated, the pit window was approaching. When the safety car pulled in, some cars immediately dove into the pits, while others opted to stay out for a few extra laps.

However, Aguilera got too close to the safety car during the restart and was handed a drive-through penalty.

With various pit penalties from the last race being served, Geshev retained the lead, with Mughal right behind him. A train of cars followed, including Feyzulin, Lowe, Novichkov, and Daremas. However, Feyzulin was carrying a 10-second penalty for overtaking off-track at the start. Daremas managed to pass Novichkov to close in on Lowe and Feyzulin. Meanwhile, Aguilera, having served his drive-through penalty during a second safety car period, was rapidly catching the pack.

As the race approached the 45-minute mark, Mughal executed a brilliant pass on Geshev to take the lead. At the same time, Aguilera had fought his way back into contention. However, on the final lap, Geshev made a bold move into the last corner, diving down the inside of Mughal, leaving him with nowhere to go and clinching the victory.

Andy Lowe showed enormous potential, securing his first GRC podium finish in third, followed closely by Daremas, Novichkov, and Barton. Mughal took the fastest lap, while Aguilera was dropped out of contention after receiving a penalty for failing to serve his drive-through within three laps.

Looking Ahead

Round 6 of the Gulf Radical Cup will take place at the Dubai Autodrome on March 8.

Round 4 - Race Report

Round 4, Gulf Radical Cup, 2024/25 Season, Yas Marina GP Corkscrew Circuit

This was a much anticipated event on the 16-turn 4.572 kms Corkscrew circuit. It uses the majority of the GP layout but turns sharp left at Turn-4 instead of heading down to the hairpin that precedes the long back straight. The twisty downhill track that intersects the back straight is named after the famous Corkscrew turn at Laguna Seca. Whilst shorter circuits make for close racing and difficult overtaking, this weekend would prove particularly tough as the grid was filled with some highly competitive international racers who wanted to make their mark on this prestigious UAE championship.

GulfSport Racing (Radical UAE) was also running Round 4 of their Gulf ProCar series which included Ferrari 296 Challenge and Porsche 992 Cup cars so lap times in the Saturday morning qualifying session were interesting. The best Radical SR3 lap was 1:46.816 and the fastest ProCar was a 510bhp Ferrari 296 with a 1:47.739.

One of the attractions for the 7 teams and 23 drivers entered was masses of track time. It started with a 3 hour track-day session on Thursday evening, which saw more than 30 drivers doing a combined total exceeding 1,000 laps, followed by another 3 hour test on Friday morning, the official 30 minute test, a 20 minute sprint quali session then 2 x 20 minute Sprint race, 15 minute Enduro quali and the 45 minute Enduro. A total of eight and a half hours if you are fit enough to handle it.

Of note, this was the largest grid ever assembled for a round of the Gulf Radical Cup since its inception in January 2006 largely due to teams and drivers seeing the opportunity for great value / high quality seat time in the warm winter weather of the UAE. The established GRC regulars were joined by Robert Greenwood and Chris Preen from the UK, Stanislav Novikov (RUS), Illia Sidorov (RUS), and Watarai Taichi who joined Kiyoto Fujinami and their Japanese ‘Seven x Seven’ team owner Bankcy.

Sprint Qualifying.

With just enough time for 10 laps in the bright morning sunshine it was perhaps not surprising that the two-time Super GT GT300 Champion Kyoto Fujinami claimed pole position for the first Sprint race with a very quick 1:46.816. Ian Aguilera was second on 1:47.133 with Watarai Taichi third on 1:47.145. Local champions Usmaan Mughal and Alim Geshev finished the session in P4 and P5 respectively showing just how high the bar had been raised by these three professional racers.

Sprint Race 1.

Given the number of champions and previous race winners on the grid this first race of the weekend was always going to be tough. In fact everyone wanted to see if a 18 year old hotshot from Mexico, who won both of the previous Sprint Races could now beat a double GT300 champion from Japan.

As the 25 minute race started it was Aguilera who got to turn 1 first, with the two Japanese drivers right on his tail. As the laps rolled by Fujinami was able to pass the leader to lead the pack. However shortly after that track limit penalties started to show up, for both Fujinami and Aguilera. But with Yang and Geshev still part of the train of cars, would they be able to hang onto the their positions?

As the chequered flag came out and after penalties were applied for track limits the top ten points scorers were Alim Geshev with the win, then Jack Yang, Kiyoto Fujinami, Ian Aguilera, Watarai Taichi, Chris Preen, Usmaan Mughal, Peri Deremas, Alex Novichkov and Amir Feyzulin.

Sprint Race 2.

The grid for Race 2 was set by the second best lap times from the Quali session which saw the two quick Japanese drivers, Taichi and Fujinami on the front row with Aguilera and Yang on row 2, and Geshev and Mughal on row 3. This was surely going to be one of the closest sprint races ever seen at the Yas Marina Circuit.

As the race started it was Alex Novichkov who got away fastest and lead into turn, followed by the rest of the pack. With Geshev and Lowe making partucualry good starts. Watarai and Fujinami got poor starts and dropped back, but were charging hard to get back up the field.

But as they were doing to, disaster struck and both were handed 5 second penalties for formation lap infringements, this was too reversed for Fujinami post race, but hampered the chances of a podium for Watarai.

While Novichkov had a sterling effort he was not able to hold off Aguilera, Geshev and Fujinami.

Mid way through the race the safety car was deployed to deal with an incident on the south circuit side of the track, but just for a couple laps before a last lap single dash to the flag.

So at the end, after the penalty was applied for Watarai it was business as usual for the young Mexican hotshot Ian Aguilera with local champion Alim Geshev just over 2 seconds behind followed very closely by Fujinami. Alex Novichkov gained valuable points in P4 followed by Chris Preen, Usmaan Mughal, Jack Yang, Watarai Taichi, Peri Deremas and Bankcy all of who scored points.

Enduro Qualifying.

The Sunday morning session saw 23 Radicals, 18 of them being the very latest SR3XXR model which has only been available since February 2023. It was also interesting to see BTCC driver Bobby Thompson, Jack Yang’s driver coach and co-driver in the two-driver Enduro race, setting some quick laps. The American Ben Curry would also be sharing with his driver coach Nigel Greensall.

Just 3 laps in, with Aguilera, Mughal and Chris Preen at the top of the timesheet the session was red flagged when Ilia Sodorov stopped in Turn 1. The session restarted with 5 minutes left for the drivers to do their best.

The last timed lap of the session was completed by Mughal who put in a staggering 1:47.144 for Pole, just .325 ahead of Fujinami, Aguilera, Yang-Thompson, Taichi and Preen who all lapped within 1 second.

Enduro Race.

After penalties were applied from the Quali session, Aguilera was gridded back on P10 and Alim Geshev on P17. As pole-sitter Mughal had won the previous Enduro race he would face a 20 second success penalty added to his 45 second mandatory pitstop, Aguilera would have 15 seconds added and Geshev 10.

But it was UK Radical racer Chris Preen who took the lead from P6 which he held until lap 6 when a red flag interrupted the race due to the #4 car of Andrew Lowe suffering an onboard fire between turns 11 and 12.

After a long break for track cleaningthe race restarted and the top 10 were Preen, Fujinami, Aguilera, Mughal, Yang-Thompson, Deremas, Strijder, Novichkov, Geshev and Greenwood although, the fastest man on track had been Watarai Taichi who had started from the pit lane and was up to P18. The young Mexican took the lead on Lap 10 and Geshev was also making good progress now up to P7.

When the pit lane opened at 26 minutes to go, it was Mughal and Yang who pitted first followed by 7 cars. Over the next few laps everyone was able to make their stop, and by Lap 17 the top 10 was now Preen, Fujiyama, Deremas, Yang/Thompson, Aguilera, Novichkov, Geshev, Taichi, Strijder and Mughal; the pitstop success penalties clearly having a big effect on Mughal, Aguilera and Geshev.

On Lap 19 there was a problem at the end of the back straight which required the Safety Car. Unfortunately it came out in the middle of the pack and didn’t pick up the first 4 drivers and so the race finished under the Safety Car with Chris Preen (Valour Racing) taking a well earned victory. Sharing the podium with him was Kiyoto Fujinami (GulfSport Racing) and Ian Aguilera (RAW Motorsports).

Bobby Thompson finished in P4 ahead of Peri Deramas, Alim Geshev, Alex Novichkov, Usmaan Mughal, Watarai Taichi and Joel Strijder who all scored valuable points.

Round 5 will take place on 22nd and 23rd February in Abu Dhabi.